The Spanish Riding School in Vienna

A trip to the city of Vienna, Austria is incomplete without a visit to the famous Spanish Riding School, an Austrian institution dedicated to the preservation of classical dressage and the training of Lipizzaner horses, whose performances in the Hofburg are also a popular tourist attraction.

For centuries, the Vienna Hofburg was the centre of the Halsburg empire.  Today, the palace houses three museums which afford historically authentic insights into the traditions and everyday life of the imperial court.

The Spanish Riding School in Vienna is the only institution in the world which has practiced for more than 450 years and continues to cultivate classical equitation in the Renaissance tradition of the haute école, which can also be found on UNESCOs list of intangible cultural heritage of humanity.  The performances of the horses trained by this famous equestrian school continue to amaze audiences from all over the world.

The legendary white stallions showcase a splendid exhibition of horsemanship in a royal setting.  The discipline and training required is admirable.  The horses move around the arena elegantly, with grace and exact precision to the traditional Viennese music.  As the show progresses, it slowly turns into a dance with clever manoeuvres by both horses and riders.  The highlight is the climax, a well-planned exhibition of strength, stamina and precision.  Most audience members will agree that it is very entertaining and of good value.  Equine enthusiasts and other visitors to the show, will savour the moment with wonderful memories. 

There are also tours of the stables which are famous and offered to the public if interested.  At peak times of the year, there can be up to 72 stallions housed there.  They are cared for like top athletes.  The carers only wanting the best for them.

It is a well-known fact that horses have an extremely sensitive digestive system.  Therefore, it is important that they drink enough water to avoid dehydration challenges.  The city of Vienna has good, high quality water.  However, the horse carers wanted more for their animals and introduced revitalised water.  The quantity of the water consumed increased when it was revitalised.  The results were that instances of colic reduced, the shine on the coats was noticeable, and the animals’ performance improved. 

These Lipizzan young horses initially live on breeding farms and at the age of four come to live at the school.  The training of the young stallions, which are often still gray, will last for another six to eight years, learning the skills required to be part of the main show group.  These are the already trained school stallions, the “white stars”.  A performance show horse can last up till the age of 25 before being retired. 

Man and horse in perfect harmony, working together, is a true work of art.  The gymnastics of the horses includes relaxation exercises, the refinement and perfecting of lessons, as well as the targeted strengthening of the muscles.  The famous school jumps that are presented as part of the demonstrations are only sometimes seen during training in order to protect the animals.  Each stallion is trained according to his individual level of training up to high school lessons.  The white Lipizzaner stallions are put through their paces by their riders almost every day. The primary objective of the morning exercise is to maintain the horses’ athleticism and health, as well as to build up various muscle groups that are necessary for performing the exercises of the haute école.

In 2016, the first woman trainer was introduced to the school.  This was a break in tradition.  For those interested to train at the Spanish Riding School means a lifelong education.  It is tough and takes eight to ten years, requiring full-on determination and extreme discipline.  The handed-down oral tradition of classic equestrian art still applies today and is passed on from generation to generation.  The horse takes centre stage and determines the duration of the training.  Currently, there are four chief riders, eight riders and for the first time also two female riders, two assistant riders (of which one is female) and three students, as well as three trainees at the school.

For further information and insights, click on the links below:

https://www.srs.at/en/about-us/the-riders-of-the-spanish-riding-school/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spanish_Riding_School#:~:text=The%20Spanish%20Riding%20School%20(German,are%20also%20a%20tourist%20attraction